Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Cancer and its many faces



It is really a "hope," "no hope" game that no one really wants to play but some of us get recruited regardless.  The tumors themselves seem innocent enough.  "We're just hanging out" they say as they start to grow in size and take over a spot in my stomach.  Ha!  Got ya!  Who needs that other 1/3rd of the stomach.  And it worked . . . for 3 1/2 years.  Enough to get a definitive "You have a SDHB germline mutation.  You inherited it from your father.  See where the tumors will show up next."  The liver.  It is close and there is lots of space to spread out and multiple even two sides if we want to separate the men from the boys.  Well, I can see your tumors and zapped them (only two while cutting out the right liver lobe as well and the gall bladder that just happened to be in the way.)  That was in late February.  My book came out in print while I was in the hospital recovering.  And another CT scan said possible tumor in your uterus!  What?  The doctors didn't say anything about this?  Fine.  I'll do it myself.  See my local GP who delivered both my children and get an ultrasound.  There.  Done . . . and .  . . good news, not distinguishable as a tumor at the moment.  Another six weeks until the new regularly scheduled every 3 months CT scan.  And thus my life will now be measured in 3 month time increments with a little recover from major surgery thrown in along with "You are not eating enough to gain weight."  I've heard that line since my father died when I was 16 and either became anorexic or lost my appetite (which is one way of not eating is never getting hungry).  I'm writing because it gets confusing.  I thought after the liver surgery I'd be in "control" for a few months only to have the uterus show what looked like a tumor on the CT scan.  If that is my true future I'm not sure I want it.  I might exchange it for the luxury model or the one that just got discontinued and went on sale for 75% off. 

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